Black Dynamite

Here it is, this reviewer is about to drop something heavy on you. Can you dig? I SAID can you DIG? “What are you talking about James?”, you might ask… I will tell you, I am talking about Black Dynamite, the one man army that will turn this ghetto upside down. In the process, you will experience one of the best and most honest parody films to have been made in the last 20 years.

The love of the genre of Blaxploitation brought by writer/star Michael Jai White and director Scott Sanders is every bit as caring and thoughtful as what the Wachowski brothers brought to last year's Speed Racer. Never does it go down the road of the corny racist joke. Instead, Black Dynamite tells the story of a man almost anyone could admire. Even if he occasionally is distracted by a boom mike entering a shot, or needs his nunchucks tossed to him from off screen during a fight. Every laugh you get from this film is tinged with a bit of nostalgia for a simpler more “seat of the pants” style of production.

Poor editing and camera work are not all that is brought to bear in this parody. Actors deliver lines with an awkward precision and needless exposition that is just astounding. Kung Fu, another mainstay of 70s films, is given a solid ribbing while still offering entertaining action sequences. And do not let the impressive soundtrack by Adrian Younge pass you by during the film. It's not only truly authentic, but the lyrics are another layer of humor and exposition.

Like any great parody, knowledge of the source material on which Black Dynamite is based will definitely increase the enjoyment gained. Details as minor as the use of Super 16 film are a real treat to film buffs, but may be missed by the masses. The humor that permeates this film, from the visuals all the way to the soundtrack, allow Black Dynamite to stand up to numerous viewings without the laughs growing stale. However, a lack of familiarity with Blaxploitation may have some viewers scratching their heads as the jokes fly right past them.

Black Dynamite displays honest parody by avoiding any influence past the late 70s. Never does the film placate to the stereotypes that have been retroactively added to the genre of Blaxploitation in the way that Undercover Brother is guilty of portraying. Every piece of the package is crafted from a love of what this period in cinematic history meant and how it should be viewed today.